TRU Trends: Increase in Law Firm Hiring, Fewer Remote Jobs | Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS)

In April, national employment reports showed robust growth, and it's good to know that the e-discovery industry is keeping pace with the country's averages. This month Keep an eye on ESI, Hosted by ACEDS President Mike Quartararo and myself, the event provided an in-depth look at the latest industry trends and practical tips on job search and career development issues. All trends pointed to what motivates job seekers to enter the market and what types of roles employers are looking to fill at ESI.

We began the session by telling participants that many of the statistics discussed during the session could be verified in TRUs 2024 eDiscovery Jobs Report.

Mike and I then discussed the statistics and metrics that make up this month's list of TRU trends. What's notable in the list below is that ESI's sales openings are at their highest level in a year. Vendors continue to place a high value on high-performing salespeople and have been aggressively hiring over the past three months. Another trend that surprised the webinar audience was that in the first quarter, law firm job postings exceeded vendor job postings for the first time in several years.

We also highlighted the growing need for RelativityOne skills for new hires – ESI employers are now quickly hiring those with this software experience. More and more law firms and providers are switching to RelOne and the need for experienced professionals is great.

When we turned to the motivations for ESI job seekers, we discussed that while remote work is still the primary reason ediscovery professionals enter the workforce, employee burnout is on the rise and likely to be the first very soon will take up space. Burnout is currently a driving motivator for job seekers and is synonymous with the desire to work remotely. It's not just the result of more hours and more work, but a combination of many other factors. Job seekers tell TRU that it's often a matter of a lack of resources, lack of leadership, lack of adequate technology or general disorganization. The setting needs to be increased to relieve the burnt out pressure cooker. Another new motivation on the list is the increased interest in gaining more first-hand experience with RelativityOne.

The pace of hiring has fluctuated in recent months. While February showed rapid movement, March slowed down. Now, in the second quarter, only contract and sales roles are being accelerated, while other mid-market full-time roles are taking a few days longer but haven't changed dramatically.

Contract roles continue to be popular across all sectors. As the graphic below shows, they now correspond in quantity to full-time positions. Across the industry, contractors are hired to carry out open project work. This includes project managers, data processors, legal and RelativityOne employees. Employers may need an ediscovery project manager for a week, may not want to produce reports at the end of the year, or the candidate may not want to work full-time. Contractors charge what they charge, and the employer can predict how much profit can be made from that person. TRU sees more and more people wanting to enter the gig economy – it's all about the flexibility it gives them. As the table below shows, a good way to get a full-time job if you want one is to work as a contractor, do an excellent job at your job, and then move into a full-time position. The “check suitability before you commit” method works for both the contractor and the employer, both of whom benefit from this type of work arrangement. Ediscovery human resources managers are professionals when it comes to the efficient use of contractors, and the job market is seeing an upswing in this hiring modality.

It's important to note that the number of fully remote jobs is decreasing month-on-month, with most roles now being hybrid and spending three or fewer days in the office. The table below currently shows that positions offered by TRU recruiters do not require full-time office employment.

A popular statistic we track covers the top five skills employers look for in TRU contractors. The data shows an interesting trend towards Relativity and RelOne expertise, with admin skills being a key requirement. Technical skills are generally always in high demand, as are project and case management. The more experience an ESI professional has in these areas, the more in demand they will be and, of course, earn more money.

Salaries have not changed significantly since March, but we expect to see some changes soon as hiring has picked up. We're seeing people making offers and we think that will continue to gain momentum throughout the second quarter. Job seekers with less professional experience are currently in high demand and pay larger subsidies when changing jobs. If you are looking for a job at ediscovery and have less than six years of experience, now is the time to make a move. There are many jobs for you and you will get a salary increase between 20% and 32%.

TRU is dedicated to tracking all trends and statistics within ESI because we know job seekers and hiring managers want to keep their finger on the pulse of this ever-changing industry. For job seekers, the most important thing is to choose the right job at the right time. And for HR managers, it's all about managing budgets and workloads while avoiding burnout.

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